Pakistan’s Research and Policy System- Can it Improve? | Adnan Qadir Khan | Haque Economics

Why does Pakistan struggle to produce effective economic policy? In this episode of Haque Economics, Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque speaks with Adnan Qadir Khan, Professor in Practice at the LSE School of Public Policy and former Chief Economist at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The conversation explores the deep structural challenges facing Pakistan’s policy ecosystem — from weak academic culture and limited policy-relevant research to bureaucratic constraints and governance failures. Adnan argues for a shift toward more competitive, performance-based systems in the civil service, particularly at senior levels, alongside stronger incentives for high-quality research that directly informs policymaking. The discussion also examines the role of international donors, the need to build local research capacity, and how Pakistani scholars can contribute to global debates while staying grounded in local realities. Key themes include: • Civil service reform and governance challenges • Weak academic and research culture • Policy-relevant research in Pakistan • Role of international donors and institutions • Building local research capacity • Incentives, performance, and accountability • Linking global research to local policy Haque Economics features long-form conversations on governance, institutions, and economic reform in Pakistan. SPEAKERS Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque is an economist and former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan. He has also served as Vice Chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and previously worked at the International Monetary Fund. His work focuses on institutional reform, governance, and economic policy. Adnan Qadir Khan Adnan Qadir Khan is a development economist and Professor in Practice at the LSE School of Public Policy. He previously served as Chief Economist at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with extensive experience in economic policy, governance reform, and international development. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 08:23 Civil Service Reform in Pakistan 20:10 Research Quality and Policy Impact 28:38 Challenges in Academic Environments 34:22 Academic Culture in Pakistan 38:52 Policy Research in Balochistan 45:33 Local vs Global Economic Thinking 59:53 Research Collaboration Challenges 01:06:52 Economic Reform Strategies 01:17:09 Government Reform Process TAGS #PakistanEconomy, #EconomicPolicy, #AdnanQadirKhan, #PublicPolicy, #CivilServiceReform, #GovernanceReform, #ResearchPolicy, #AcademicCulture, #DevelopmentEconomics, #InstitutionalReform, #PolicyMaking, #PakistanReform, #EconomicGrowth, #PolicyDebate, #StateCapacity, #PublicAdministration, #Bureaucracy, #GlobalDevelopment, #HaqueEconomics, #PolicyResearch, #GovernmentReform, #ThinkTank